06/07/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the death penalty, today launched a last-ditch appeal to the Texan authorities to refrain from executing Humberto Leal García, a Mexican national, who was sentenced to death in 1995. His execution is currently scheduled for July 7 in Huntsville, Texas. “Mr. Leal was never informed about his right to request consular assistance, as he should have been under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” Ms Wohlwend stated.
15/06/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
A statement issued today by the co-chairs of a PACE-European Parliament joint informal body says there is agreement that, following the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Parliament will be entitled to participate in the sittings of PACE and its relevant bodies when the latter exercises its functions related to the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights. The arrangements must now be approved by both the Assembly and the European Parliament.
15/06/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE), the rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on the situation of human rights defenders, has expressed satisfaction following the acquittal of prominent human rights lawyer Oleg Orlov, the head of the Human Rights Centre “Memorial” in the Russian Federation. “I warmly welcome the acquittal of Oleg Orlov. It is a step in the direction of ensuring respect for the rule of law and a sign that Russian courts are willing and able to interpret the right to freedom of expression in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights."
27/05/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE rapporteur on Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan, Christoph Strässer (Germany, SOC) welcomed the release of Azerbaijan opposition journalist and newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev. “Mr. Fatullayev should never have been imprisoned in the first place”, Mr Strässer said, and recalled that “there is still a large number of similar cases of alleged political prisoners in Azerbaijan”.
04/05/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the PACE Legal Affairs Committee and the Assembly’s former rapporteur on “Fair trial issues in criminal cases concerning espionage or divulging state secrets”, has welcomed the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg finding a violation by the Russian Federation of scientist Igor Sutyagin’s right to a fair trial.
19/04/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
PACE’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights has called on participants at a special meeting of the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee which opens in Strasbourg today to fight terrorism “in a manner which fully respects human rights and the rule of law”.
16/03/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD), PACE Rapporteur on the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), has urged the Greek authorities to comply with minimal European requirements concerning the holding of illegal migrants and persons held in prisons. “The CPT so rarely makes a public statement that it is a sign that there is a serious problem,” he said.
08/03/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
As a measure to further strengthen torture prevention mechanisms in Europe, the members of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) should be elected by PACE in order to vest them with enhanced democratic legitimacy and authority.
08/03/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
At a hearing on the declaration of Principles on Equality and activities of the Council of Europe, organised by the Legal Affairs Committee in Paris today, participants stressed that the right to equality before the law and the protection of all persons against discrimination are fundamental provisions of international human rights law.
01/03/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on abolition of the death penalty, is dismayed by the prospect of the imminent execution of two young men, Aleh Gryshkautsou, aged 29, and Andrei Burdyka, aged 28, convicted for murder during an armed robbery in 2009. A broadcast on national television on 22 February 2011 recalled that the sentence had come into force after the two men's appeals had been turned down.
11/02/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Following yesterday’s vote in the House of Commons on prisoners’ voting rights, Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, made the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed by last night’s vote, in defiance of the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on prisoner voting."
14/01/2011 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on "The death penalty in Council of Europe member and observer states - an unacceptable violation of human rights", has welcomed the decision of the Illinois legislature to abolish the death penalty. "It will now be up to the new Governor Pat Quinn, a close ally of Barrack Obama, to sign this initiative into law. I can only encourage him to do so without hesitation," said Renate Wohlwend.